For #ThickTrunkTuesday, here is a large Sitka Spruce tree I found on my backpacking trip this last weekend. The tree is in front of a battery at Fort Stevens State Park, which was built near the end of the Civil War.
A dying bur #oak believed to be one of the oldest #trees in Chicago was cut down yesterday after reaching the end of its lifecycle. While this is a sad end to a beloved #Chicago#landmark, the oak's legacy will be preserved by a nearby arboretum.
Here's a #ThickTrunkTuesday from our place - close up of a heart shaped hole (or 'boot') in a giant saguaro's armpit. The boots are used by Gila Woodpeckers and others as nests, but at the moment this one appears to be empty.
And this saguaro is at least 6' taller than our house, and has multi-arms, so definitely predates the development of houses in our area.
#ThickTrunkTuesday The National Mall in Washington DC is famous for it's Elms, but in these two pictures, massive oaks provide beauty and shade. The Willow Oaks are at the corner of Madison Dr and 14th St NW and the other Oak is outside the west wing of the National Gallery of Art. #WashingtonDC
For #ThickTrunkTuesday I wanted to share this enormous old #liveoak#tree that has its own space by the Baton Rouge Clinic on Perkins Road in #BatonRouge#Louisiana. When the Clinic moved to this location, they preserved the tree and set aside an appropriately sized fenced area to protect its root system. The tree is thriving and so is the Clinic. Proof that we can live in harmony with nature if we do so thoughtfully. This oak supports an impressive colony of Resurrection Fern as well. I took these photos last week, and you can see the new spring growth on the branches.
Bonus shot from last summer, when the oak tree still had it's leaves: Hilo likes to climb this tree when she goes for walks. #ThickTrunkTuesday#CatsOfMastodon